States that are paying the tab to keep military bases open

The Associated PressDecember 9, 2015

The number of states willing to spend money to fix infrastructure in military facilities and preserve the revenue they help bring in has increased steadily in the past five years, along with the scale of the projects. State officials argue that the Pentagon keeps asking for base closings and that they want to protect their bases. At least one critic at a Washington think tank argues that the money won’t be enough to change minds and that states are spending money to “compete in a competition that hasn’t been declared.”

Examples of on-base infrastructure projects funded by state and local governments:

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ALABAMA: On-post housing. State or local share of cost: More than $5 million.

CALIFORNIA: Electric vehicles project at Los Angeles Air Force Base. State or local share of cost: $3 million.

CONNECTICUT: Facility for Navy divers. State or local share of cost: $4.7 million.

DELAWARE: Major renovations to an Army National Guard readiness center. State or local share of cost: $1.6 million.

HAWAII: Funds for an elementary school on an Army installation. State or local share of cost: $13.8 million.

LOUISIANA: New headquarters for the Marine Corps Forces Reserve. State or local share of cost: $150 million.

MISSISSIPPI: Taxiway improvements at the Combat Readiness Training Center. State or local share of cost: $2.9 million.

OKLAHOMA: Railroad and hangar at Tinker Air Force Base. State or local share of cost: $28 million.

UTAH: Construction of a new gate at Hill Air Force Base. State or local share of cost: $5 million.

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Source: Association of Defense Communities report, “State of Support: Highlights of State Support for Defense Installations,” December 2014